SAT NAV SHOCKER: Why Taking a Holiday Makes Us Feel Sick

By Annie Brown

SCOTS workaholics find holidays so stressful it can make them sick.

A report claims many workers fall prone to headaches, viral infections and tiredness as soon as they clock out and go on a break.

The Quality of Working Life Survey found 180,000 Scots have fallen prey to the medical syndrome "leisure sickness".

Cary Cooper, visiting professor of occupation psychology at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, said those who put work ahead of their family were the most vulnerable,

Co-author Professor Cooper said: "They are more likely to succumb to sickness on holiday.

"These workers feel less valued at home than at work, while holidays present them with a new set of challenges – not least having to reintegrate with their families."

Relaxation expert Charles Moore said there were too many workaholics who don’t know how to unwind. He said: "People become addicted to work.

"People say they don’t have time to learn how to relax but they are the very people that need to fit relaxation time in to their schedules for the sake of their health."

Without proper relaxation, the body and mind become overworked and prone to ill-health.

Experts say the daily grind is so familiar to us that when we are out of it, we feel disorientated.

Moore said: "People get used to a certain pattern where they are on the go all the time and the second their body begins to slow down a bit, they’ll take cigarettes, coffee, chocolates – any fuel to amp it up.

"When the brain is constantly bombarded with stimuli, it gets overloaded and exhausted."

The report found three per cent of the Scots population are affected by leisure sickness.

The UK now has the longest working week in the developed world and staff feel under more pressure than ever.

Charles said: "Illness is a signal that we need to take time out.

"It is of no surprise to me that stress is really on the up. People increasingly find themselves under more pressure to perform."

Often, people are so stressed at work, the adrenaline keeps them and their immune system going.

However, when they go on holiday, their immune system goes in to meltdown.

Moore added: "Everyone is driven to perform but the important detail in the work-life balance is the balance part. You can’t always keep going or the body will let you know it is time to stop.

"Our bodies give us the signals we need. It is up to us to listen. Many people stay in work mode when they are on holiday. We all know the holiday leader – the person who must have a strict itinerary for each day.

"The whole idea is to relax and they are planning out things to do, one after the other."

Moore recommends having some quality time on holiday and prioritising what is important, such as spending time with loved ones.

Moore said: "It is important to break the rhythm of home when we go on holiday – perhaps take up a sport, go for a long walk, listen to some music and do all the things we have been promising ourselves.

"Ultimately, it’s just about fitting in quality time."

The study found although 92 per cent of people felt they would benefit from a holiday, one third didn’t use up their full holiday entitlement.

But Moore said an ability to switch off makes us more productive when we switch on again.

He added: "It is paradoxical that if you take time out, you can come back and performeven better."

‘The important detail in the work-life balance is balance’

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